


When We Strive To Become Better Than We Are

by Mascarasa



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Canon Universe, F/M, action fighting, disability inclusion too, featuring several characters of color, it will time jump like the series, it's a slow burn, minor mentions of domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-07-12 21:52:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16004048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mascarasa/pseuds/Mascarasa
Summary: Fernie was assigned a mission to learn as much as she could about the Peaky Blinders and its leader, Thomas Shelby. She knew Tommy was hiding the guns - but could she convince him to find another purpose for the weapons? Fernie had no choice, to help her people she needed Tommy.Involves a kick-ass afro-brasiliera woman and her crew of misfits, Tommy being repeatedly put into his place for underestimating women and lastly, addressing that big life issue of identity. References to Brasilian history and a few indigenous tribes.





	1. That Time Tommy Got Elbowed In The Face

Fernie walked into the Garrison with one specific purpose. She needed to understand who exactly the Shelby family was, considering her informants in London had quite a bit to say about said family. She knew that Tommy was the boss, despite the fact Arthur was the oldest and they owned the Garrison pub. The Garrison was not distinctive for a pub, with two workers and plenty of customers. Fernie observed an adjacent room near the bar, clearly a private room for private business. The room lacked privacy however, as she could hear laughter and shouting from the room. She witnessed a little boy storm into the room, then the entire family immediately left it. 

Fernie observed, a skill that had taken years to master. Fernie noticed the barmaid watching, rather closely, the door leading into the private room. In Fernie’s opinion, the barmaid watched too much. She was pretty, with her blonde curls and vibrant eyes, yet Fernie could sense their secrets. The barmaids body language was anything but welcoming, in fact, considering her position she seemed rather disconnected from her work. Her hands were wiping down in the same spot on the counter for over 5 minutes. Yes, Fernie will need to keep her eyes on this one. 

Fernie observed more. She took in every detail, every stool and chair, every beard and mustache. No man approached her in the pub, something that was not surprising. Fernie did not dress to impress or stand out, she dressed to blend and disappear with her mute colored dress and jacket, her face half hidden by a black hat. Fernie shifted her body to get a better look of the three men and one woman who left the room, but even her slight movement caused one of the men to shift his eyes towards her. 

Fernie had never seen eyes like his before. In her culture, anyone with blue eyes was considered a beauty born into great fortune. Fernie did not feel fortunate to have those eyes on her, squinting in her direction. In this moment, she knew this was Thomas “Tommy” Shelby. She did her research, Tommy was a war veteran who was promoted to as high of a rank as his class allowed. He received medals for his service in France, yet if she understood her sources correctly, if he did have these medals than they never were displayed in his home, if at all. Now the man wanted more from life, wanted more for the Peaky Blinders. If all went well for Fernie, perhaps her girls can get more from life too. Fernie knew if she could figure out what made Tommy tick, what he wanted, then she could deliver him and her girls to the same end goal. Maybe. Hopefully. Fernie could feel this in her bones that if Tommy allowed it, their partnership could blossom into the most volatile gang in all of England. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later on, Fernie searched for the man who stormed out of the room first. She believed this man was the youngest of the Shelbys, John. Even from her brief observation of him, he was the easiest to manipulate. He was the key to her entry into the Peaky Blinders. John had several children and after watching him all morning, Fernie could see he cared deeply for them. Despite her hope for John, her day of stalking was not fortuitous with information on him, however she did realize he had a lady friend, a woman named Lizzie Stark. 

Fernie decided impulsively to follow Lizzie instead, since her information on John was not nearly revealing enough. After following her for half the day, Fernie discovered that Lizzie must be a prostitute. Lizzie would enter a residence, be gone for exactly 30 minutes and leave looking a bit worse for the wear. Her hair would be matted on the back or side, her clothing slightly wrinkled. The highlight of the day was seeing Lizzie enter a car owned by Thomas Shelby.

Fernie was curious, surely Tommy was not in the car? Perhaps his brother, John. But after moving her body to see from a different angle, the driver in fact was Tommy. They were not in the car long, perhaps 10 minutes. Fernie saw Tommy pull out his wallet, could he be paying for a service? But they did not leave the car or have a dalliance in it. Lizzie exited the car in a hurry, visibly upset from her encounter with Tommy. 

Fernie realized to get to Thomas Shelby, she needed to be more obvious in her hunt. If he suspected he was being followed, eventually she could allow herself to be caught. Fernie began to formulate a plan on her walk back to her temporary apartment. 

All of a sudden she felt her body be yanked into a nearby alley. She was startled but her body was already in motion, twisting to escape her captor. She was thrown against the wall, her head smacking against the hard brick. Thomas Shelby put his hand to her throat, keeping her in place, if only for a second. She stepped heavily to the side, using the energy she just created as momentum for her arms to move across to break the chokehold. She jabbed her elbow at his nose, quickly disabling the situation. 

Tommy took several steps back, keeping his hand to his now bleeding nose. His striking blue eyes stayed on her, expecting another move but nothing came. Fernie decided introductions should be made, perhaps an explanation as well. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. I don’t have a gun on me either.” She said, raising her arms in surrender. Tommy scoffed. 

“You broke my fucking nose!” He shouted. 

“Well, what do you expect to happen when I get attacked? I was protecting myself” Fernie shrugged her shoulders, clearly indifferent to his pain. 

“I think attacking you is fucking warranted when I’m being followed.” Tommy responded. 

“Oh please, yeah I was following you but I mean no harm. I’m merely….creating a profile on you.” 

Tommy narrowed his eyes at her, “By who?” 

Fernie brought her hand to chin, miming the motion as if she was stroking an imaginary beard. 

“Hmm that’s not quite the right question, because my response will not be helpful for you. Who isn’t needing to know who the famous Thomas Shelby of the Peaky Blinders is?” 

If Tommy were any younger, he would have rolled his eyes at her.

Instead, he hardened his gaze in her direction.

“Who fucking sent you?” 

Fernie moved her head side to side in thought, “Truthfully? Everybody and nobody. I am paid for a job well done you see? But the information I share is up to my discretion. As if my employers would know anything is missing from my report.” 

She sighed, leaning against the brick wall. “To be honest, if they questioned my skills, I would take their hand. I like that you see, taking out my beautiful machete knife and in one swift movement… pure chaos. Hearing their screams of shock and pain. Ah, it’s every girl’s dream isn’t it?” Fernie smiled faintly at Tommy, creating a rather psychotic image in his opinion. 

“Tommy, now that you know you’re being followed. How about we have a talk? We could meet at the Garrison, in that private room you are so fond of. Don’t worry, I won’t be armed. I could even bring a white flag if you like.” Fernie finished, waiting for a response. She saw a tick in Tommy’s jaw, from grinding his teeth together. Yes, good, he was annoyed with her. 

“That will not fucking do to meet in my pub when I don’t know who the fuck you are.” 

Despite Tommy acting like the adult he was pretending to be, Fernie gave no airs for her maturity. She rolled her eyes at him.

“Yes, well the name is Fernie, my nickname is Somebody. I have several last names, the most recent was Ackerman. When you research me, you’ll only find what you are allowed to know. If you plan to shock me with details of my past, don’t bother. I won’t be impressed. I’ll meet you at the Garrison in 3 days at noon, to give you plenty of time to recover” Fernie winked at Tommy, then walked away from the Peaky Blinder. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She entered her flat, with one hand continuously on her head. The key to prevent further bleeding was to always keep pressure on the wound. She walked into the bathroom and started using a wet cold cloth. Fernie knew the bleeding would stop soon, head wounds usually were not serious. Well, that is to say, when it was serious, you were dead.

She saw movement in the mirror and knew Bod was behind her. She needed to wrap the cloth around her head and after the task was finished, she turned around to face him. Bod always looked so severe and that moment was no different. 

Fernie began to motion with her hands. _Tommy discovered me. Of course he attacked me, but my wound is nothing compared to a broken nose._

She made a look of disgust to the words ‘broken nose.’ _I told him I will meet him at the Garrison in 3 days’ time. I was even able to piss him off. I’m going to make tea, do you want some?_ She finished signing with a confused look on her face, indicating she asked a question, but she did not wait for a response. 

She left the bathroom and walked into the kitchen, already making tea for two. She felt Bod’s strong arms wrap around her middle, rubbing his face on her own face. She felt his worry and relief at seeing her. He hated being stuck inside the flat, knowing she could need him. If Fernie were to be honest, she felt the same, in her opinion his presence was always needed.

She turned around in his arms.

 _I know, I know. But I don’t feel safe with you exposed out here yet. With how I look, men just want to fuck me. But you’re even darker than me, I was afraid the white men would see you and murder you in a second. But today, I saw the Shelby’s talking to another black man, he sounded like he was from the Caribbean. I think you will be safe here._

She finished by hugging him and kissing his cheek. _Soon my dear, soon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my first story that I've ever posted! I already appreciate you for reading this story. 
> 
> There will be no set schedule for postings - I do already have about 5 chapters written. This won't be a long story, maybe 7-15 chapters (I mean really, that depends how long I decide to make each chapter). But I have the basic outline done and the big events are stuck in my head. I also work a full time job that requires overtime and I hope this story will be a great outlet for me to learn more about myself and my writing style. 
> 
> This story will primarily follow the show's timeline, I will start to diverge at the beginning of season 4. 
> 
> I can't wait for you to learn about Fernie, Bod and her family.


	2. That Time Tommy Was Told A Secret

Chapter 2

~1909 no campo da Salvador, Bahia no Brasil~

Fernanda was memorized by the dance, watching the men of her tribe using all of their body to avoid being injured by the sticks made of pitia wood. The men continued to follow the beat of the drum, slamming the sticks together to the rhythm. The fire only showed parts of their faces, the air filled with their songs of the Maculelê dance. 

When she was little, Fernanda knew she would become strong like those men and perform the Maculelê along with her people.

Fernanda now knew her future would lead her down a much different path. 

The Englishman was touring her country, she didn’t know why but her people accepted him into the community. He was curious, he had money and he was an observer. Her parents were not worried about him, they were worried about the future of their daughter. 

Her parents had Fernanda later in life, it was truly a miracle of the gods. At the time of Fernanda’s birth, a Portuguese priest was living with her tribe to spread the word of God. He was the one to suggest her parents forgo the traditional names of her people and instead name her ‘Fernanda’. Little did her parents realize how much she would grow into becoming Fernanda. 

“Minha filha… you truly are a bold adventurer, aren’t you?” Her mother would scold softly every time Fernanda did something naughty like roughhousing with the boys in her village, coming home covered in mud. 

Fernanda was a woman now at 15 years old and she knew her village was dying. Her parents needed care and more men were leaving the village to move to Salvador or even the capital, Rio de Janeiro. She was scared for her future but more importantly, she didn’t know how to change it. She felt helpless. 

Her parents knew the truth too, they would die soon and leave Fernanda all alone with a dying village. Her mother would not allow her miracle child to live such a life. Her prayers were answered by the Englishman. 

He saw potential in Fernanda. She loved to learn any subject; languages, science, religion, geography and more. Many evenings he would have his teachings for free to the village and Fernanda never missed a lesson. Once he identified who her parents were, he knew he couldn’t leave her behind. 

One night, he approached her parents and asked for her hand in marriage. Her parents did not know the man well, despite his teachings in the evenings, he was still a reserved Englishman. 

He promised them she could come visit, that she wouldn’t be too far. A suburb of Rio is surely a better livelihood for their daughter than Bahia. They relented, her mother felt better knowing her daughter would be taken care of once they were gone. 

Fernanda liked the Englishman but she didn’t trust him, let alone be married to him. Her parents insisted it was for the best and she could visit regularly. He even reassured her she could come home and stay with her parents in their final days. 

Fernanda accepted his proposal and soon after she became Mrs. Anderson. 

She didn’t know it would be the last time she would see her parents. 

 

~Back to present ~ 

 

3 days passed quickly for Fernie, she had many plans to make for the future, including her involvement with the Shelby family. For Tommy on the other hand, the 3 days crept up slowly. He felt betrayed by his family when he explained he was attacked by a woman, since laughter was their response. So much laughter in fact, that Tommy considered breaking the noses of both his brothers. 

After the laughter died down, the first to get serious was Aunt Polly. She made a tsking sound with her mouth, “What were you doing fighting this woman?” 

“She was following me, Pol” Tommy explained, taking a seat at the table and lighting a cigarette. 

“What? She was following you? Why?” Aunt Polly said, disbelief in her voice. 

“She was being evasive. She said everybody and nobody wants to know about Thomas Shelby. She is being paid, handsomely I suspect” Tommy took another drag of his cigarette, letting the smoke fill the room. 

“Who the fuck wants information about you?” Arthur asked, not nearly as concerned with this information as Aunt Polly. 

Tommy shook his head, ignoring the pain in his nose. “I don’t know Arthur.” John looked over at Tommy, “Well, who the hell is she then?” 

“She said her name was Fernie, Fernie Ackerman is her recent name. I suspect she’s been married a couple of times.” 

Arthur stood up and began pacing the room, “How about we find this bitch and teach her what happens when she messes up a Peaky Blinder!” Tommy stood up as well to stand in front of Arthur, preventing him from pacing. “Yes, normally yes I would agree Arthur.” 

Tommy turned his eyes to his other family members “But first, I would like to know what she wants. She’s strong. She’s smart. She knows things. I want to have this meeting with her and see what she has to say. Now what that means, John and Arthur, is to not kill the woman.” Tommy finished by enunciating his final words. 

Both men nodded their heads at Tommy’s orders, Aunt Pol stayed silent. She knew Tommy was going to do whatever he wanted to do, didn’t matter what she said. 

“Aunt Pol? Don’t you agree?”

“Yes Tommy, find out what the bitch wants.” 

After the family meeting, Tommy did what Fernie suggested. He sent some men to London to find out more about this Fernie Ackerman. 

Or rather, Fernie Smith. 

Or Fernie Anderson. 

Yes, his research revealed a lot about this Fernie alright. She has been married 3 times, the first died from heart problems, suspicious since his family history indicated no ailments of the heart. 

The second husband died in the war though his body was never recovered. 

The final husband died in a motor vehicle accident, the engine having exploded. Tommy suspected she murdered 2 of the 3 husbands, but evidence would say otherwise. 

His sources in London said she was well-known for many reasons. Murderer of husbands certainly, commonly nicknamed a black widow. She had a unique fighting style nobody in London had seen before, it was called Capoeira. In fact, she could dance in many styles, some have caused quite a scandal in London though Tommy had no idea what this meant. She spoke over 5 languages. She had a bodyguard, who everybody had named ‘Anybody’. She was creating a gang of girls, training the girls in violence and murder. She was essentially a mercenary and she gets the job done. She does own a machete, though she rarely used it. 

Tommy remembered her casual story of taking a man’s hand with her machete, his disbelief at the time now completely vanished. 

Tommy was unsatisfied, nobody knew where she was from. Nobody knew how much money she had. Nobody knew if she had any enemies. Nobody knew if Fernie was even her real name. It seemed as if one day, she magically appeared in London with a highly respected reputation for getting what she wanted and hardly anyone stopped her. 

Tommy checked his pocket watch, any minute now Fernie would be coming through that door to have their meeting. His brothers were not in the room but they were nearby in the pub, in case the woman decided to try something foolish. The door opened slightly, a white cloth attached to a dark hand waved around before the body followed.

Fernie entered the room with a smirk on her face, “Do you like my white flag?” 

Tommy took a sip of his whiskey, “Not particularly.” 

Fernie shook her head in amusement, “I think it’s fucking hilarious.”

She paused and lifted a bottle in a paper bag. “Could you do me a favor? Can you tell your bartender to make me a drink? I would ask see, but I brought my liquor with me and now usually, bartenders frown on his customers bringing their own alcohol. But I figured, you being Tommy Shelby and a Peaky Blinder and all, well maybe he’d make an exception.” Tommy eyed the bag, suspicious of its contents.

Fernie saw his hesitation, “It is only rum, I swear. Remember I brought the white flag?”

Tommy thought for a moment and nodded his head, he left the room to speak with Harry privately. Tommy knew that Harry was a very understanding man. 

Once Tommy returned, Fernie stood up from the table “Perfect, now that’s done. I’m going to make my drink and we can get down to business.” Fernie said as she walked out of the room. 

She immediately went to the bar, “Sir? I am the woman who Tommy just told you about” Harry looked over at the dark skinned woman, surprise shown in his eyes. “Yeah, Tommy mentioned you.” 

Fernie began to walk to the other side of the bar where Harry was standing. She grabbed a glass with ice and began to make her drink. Harry looked over at her, unsure what to make of her, he held out his hand “Name’s Harry.” 

Fernie shook his hand with a firm grip “Pleasure to meet you, my name is Fernie. I’m terribly sorry for disturbing your bar like this but see, I like my caipirinhas done a certain way and bartenders just never know the drink in the first place so they fuck it up.” 

Fernie continued talking as she mixed the rum with lime and sugar. “Now, I would like to leave my rum with you Harry. But see, it’s a special rum from my home country. Nobody is allowed to drink this except me and mine, got it?” Fernie finished the drink, leaving the rum on the bar. 

Harry nodded his head to her, “and Harry, I’ll notice if anybody drinks my rum. If this happens, I can’t guarantee people will keep their hands” Fernie said with a shrug of her shoulders, a couldn’t care less attitude. She didn’t bother to wait for a response and left to walk back into the private room. 

“Now, Tommy. I have my drink. You already have your whiskey. Let’s talk.” Fernie began, stirring the sugar in the glass to prevent it from sinking to the bottom. 

“How about we start with what you learned about me?” Her dark brown eyes bore into Tommy, all amusement gone from her face. 

Tommy stared back, all emotion stripped from his face. They were both playing poker, the first to have a visible reaction loses. 

“Well Fernie Ackerman/Smith/Anderson. You’ve been married 3 times. You have a reputation in London. Your fighting style is something called Capoeira. You do use a machete sometimes. You have an African bodyguard named Anybody. You have a girl gang in London.” Tommy looked at her, holding eye contact “Unfortunately that was all my sources could find on you. I was rather dissatisfied with the information.” Tommy admitted, taking a drag from his newly lit cigarette. 

“Oh Tommy, I hope you didn’t kill them? It’s not their fault.” Fernie asked, tilting her head to one side in question. Tommy shook his head. 

“How about you tell me what the fuck you want?” Tommy asked, pointing his cigarette in her direction. 

Fernie took a few moments to respond, thinking of how to phrase her words. “You see Tommy, your name is spreading down to London. ‘The Peaky Blinders causing terror in the north’ are the headlines in criminals minds. Some of the London gangsters paid me to check in on you, to assess if you’re a threat. Of course, because I am so well respected, they know I can get the job done. What they don’t know, is that several gangs have paid me to do the same job.” 

Fernie paused to take a sip of her drink and light her own cigarette, “Now, that was a curious thing to me. I knew I would have to meet you, if only to thank you for the money from this job.” She raised her glass in his direction in salute, Tommy did not mimic her motion. 

“You are a sour one aren’t ya?” Fernie asked after he refused to clink his glass with hers. 

Tommy stared at her then narrowed his eyes, “Just get on with it will you?” 

“It got me thinking it did. Let’s just say, I got this reputation but I’m not always the brains of the operation. I need to think out loud too much before I can commit, usually that causes problems. Well I was thinking, what does Tommy have that even gangsters like Solomon and Sabini need to learn about him?” Fernie finished her cigarette, putting it out in a nearby coaster. 

“After I began researching you, I understood the concern. After all, the war affected everybody in different ways. I could sense from my information that you were a certain type of man. A man who would never be satisfied with life, nothing would ever be enough for him. It seems ridiculous but I’m willing to bet you want security. And you think, the more secure you are, the more successful you are, the more you take from life, the more you will… become something far different than the man on the battlefield right?” Fernie finished her thoughts by lighting another cigarette, observing Tommy’s body language to see if she hit home in her assessment. 

Ah ha, she saw the tick in his jaw again. Men can be so predictable sometimes. Tommy shifted his body in the chair. 

“Am I under some type of psychological analysis? My friend Danny could use that.” 

“No, I am no professional but I can see my words struck a chord with you. Good, the more I speak with you Tommy, the more I like you. Do you feel the same?” Fernie asked, titling her head to the side. 

Tommy appraised Fernie, he took in her dark brown skin, her brown curls and eyes so black, he could barely make out her irises. She wore a simple red dress today, nothing frivolous, though her shoes were made for running and fighting, not for fashion. If he met her off the street, he would think she was a gypsy but his information indicated no such family history. 

“Do you…want to fuck me Fernie?” Tommy asked, responding to her question. Fernie immediately scowled at Tommy and waved her hand at him, “Oh please Tommy, this is not about sex.” 

She took a pause to stop the annoyance creeping in her voice, “Do you think we could work together?” 

For a brief moment, Tommy’s eyes were unguarded, surprise shown in them. “Work together? Why?” 

“Because I think you have the money. I think my girls and I could help you out once in a while with your Peaky Blinder business. I have plenty of information about the London gangs. I’m hoping this could be a win-win situation for the both of us. You know, like an endless mutual resource to each other.” Fernie leaned forward on the table, resting her hand on her chin. “What do you think?” 

Tommy looked at her suspiciously, “I don’t believe you. It seems odd to me that you are seeking me out, hoping I would hire you…you are describing what is normally called a contract hire. The clients seek out the contractor. Not the other way around.” Tommy shook his head and put out his cigarette on the coaster. 

“Sorry Miss, but I will not hire you.” Tommy said in finality, raising to leave the room. Before he could leave, Fernie’s bare leg shot straightforward in front of him, preventing Tommy from moving any further. He took the moment to appreciate the fine shape of her calf, the woman was an experienced fighter judging by the muscle. 

Tommy turned his head towards Fernie, “I am leaving Fernie. Our business is fucking done.” But her leg did not move, he could see her calf muscles tense. 

“Sit down Tommy, I wasn’t done. There is a piece of information I forgot to mention.” Tommy still did not move, waiting for her to say more. 

“Actually when I think about it. I have two things to share with you. Now, do you want the bad news or the really bad news first? Of course, it’s up to you to decide which is worse.”

She put her leg down, only because she knew she had his attention again, his icy blue eyes on her black ones. She was not afraid of a challenge. She stood up and placed herself within inches of Tommy’s face, using her heels to give her height. Fernie looked into his eyes, ready to see if any emotion will reveal itself. 

Fernie lowered her voice to a near whisper, “Tommy, I know about the guns. I was being honest about the partnership but…I confess, I want those guns.” Fernie tightened her core, prepared her body in case of an attack, dropping vital information like that into the air. The more Fernie observed Tommy, the less his eyes revealed. 

She was a bit disappointed by the lack of reaction, what’s the point of sharing juicy gossip if he doesn’t appreciate it? Fernie thought in annoyance.

“and I hope you’ll understand this Tommy and take my advice seriously. If I were you, I would stay far from the blond barmaid Grace. She has her secrets, secrets that could ruin you.” 

Ah, there it was, Tommy’s blue eyes blazed in anger and his jaw clenched. If Thomas Shelby was anybody else, Fernie would have laughed to their face for such a reaction. She knew that would be unwise, a man like Tommy Shelby does not get laughed at. 

Tommy glared at her, “What the fuck are you talking about?” 

Fernie boldly flicked some lint of his jacket, “The barmaid, Grace Burgess. She has her secrets, ones she won’t tell you because she knows it will ruin you. I would not trust a woman like that.” Fernie shook her head, almost in remorse for Tommy. 

He reached forward and gripped her face with his hands, pinching her mouth together forcefully. “You don’t know what the fuck you are talking about. I know her secrets, she admitted them to me.”

Fernie narrowed her eyes at Tommy, she never pegged him for a romantic, coming to the defense of a woman he barely knew. Fernie reached forward, grabbing his wrist and immediately twisted it to the side, disabling Tommy within a second. Tommy bent forward in pain, cradling his wrist. 

“Don’t worry Tommy, I did not break your wrist like I broke your nose. I do recommend you avoid using that hand for a day or two though. I don’t know why you can’t understand the idea not to touch me, it only ends in pain.” Fernie leaned forward to be at his eye level, as he managed the pain in his wrist. 

“Tommy, I am not saying this to manipulate you. I am saying Grace is not to be trusted. Did she truly admit those secrets to you? Or did she confirm them?” 

“What’s the bloody difference?” Tommy asked, recovering from the attack and standing tall again. Those eyes could freeze over any river, thought Fernie. 

“The difference Tommy, is that you assumed her secrets. So you said your assumptions to her out loud, and she confirmed. She did not tell you. She did not give details of her secrets. You did all of that for her and she played along. She’s playing you Tommy, don’t you see?” 

This time she allowed her emotions onto her face, to show her concern for him. He needed to understand that Grace was not safe for him. Fernie decided it was time to go.

“Yes, well you think about our partnership. Remember I know about the guns, I would like them but I suspect others want them first. That’s ok, as long as I know where they are at all times. Remember Grace is trouble, please believe that. If you want to reach me, tie this white cloth to your doorknob at the Shelby headquarters. Then perhaps we can have another chat, be careful with that wrist.” Fernie said, making a fast move to the door. 

Tommy stood where he was after she left as for the first time in months, he didn’t know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the all support for the first chapter! Y'all are so loving <3 It honestly made my day when I read the comments and saw the kudos. Currently, I am waiting for my homemade sourdough to finish raising so I can bake it :D
> 
> By the way, this story is set about halfway through season 1 when John said he wants to marry Lizzie (as indicated in the first chapter when there is a family meeting)
> 
> Here is your chance to learn a bit about Brasilian culture and history! Fernie is from the Kaimbe tribe based in the Bahia region of Brasil. The Kaimbe people were suspected to have gone extinct in the early 20th century. When referencing her time in the village, she is primarily speaking Kaimbe. 
> 
> Caipirinha's are one of my favorite drinks, it's simple and tart. You buy brazilian rum, otherwise known as Cachaça (Kuh-Shaw-Sa), and then add lime wedges and sugar. Mix it all together and boom! You got your drink.


	3. That Time Fernanda Made a Friend

~na cidade de Rio de Janeiro no ano 1910~

 Fernanda left the dinner table as soon as possible. She was exhausted trying to keep her mouth shut the entire dinner, while her husband and the local professors spoke about the Brazilian economy.

“I want my wife to sit still and be quiet! No more comments about your village, you are not aware of all it takes to run this country” Professor Anderson explained to his wife the night before the big dinner. A lot was riding on the dinner, including funding to further his research in this county.

Her husband was an impartial husband, never engaging his wife with any of his studies.

Fernanda had no idea how to be a wife but thankfully her husband did not care. She used her free time to read everything in his library. It was hard at first to read in English, speaking the language was fine but to read it was another matter. She started with simple subjects like the large encyclopedia of animals. She discovered the animal that reminded her most of her husband, in Portuguese he was a _'sanguessuga'_   in English, this translated to a leech. Fernanda felt this fitting, it certainly felt like he was sucking the life out of her. After learning nearly every animal in existence, she moved on to the more complex topics like biology, chemistry, war strategies, and economics.

While her mind was engaged, her body was still bored.

One day while she was walking in the courtyard, two guards were fighting with their machetes. She admired their movements, wishing she could learn. One man was clearly teaching the other, he was a dark skinned African with a shaved head. Once the fight was over, the two parted ways without any comment.

‘Isn’t that a strange sight? No talk, no handshake?’ Fernanda thought to herself. She hurried down the steps to approach the winner.

“Olha! Olha!” She shouted to get his attention, but he kept walking. She ran up to him and grabbed his arm to get his attention.

The man appeared startled, as if he hadn’t heard her shouting to him.

“Where did you learn to fight like that?”

The man didn’t answer her question, he shook his head and pointed to his ears.

Fernanda didn’t understand what he was trying to say . Upon observation, she saw his ears were deformed, not appearing as an ear at all but rather protruding skin.

“Oh, you can’t hear me, can you?”

The stranger shook his head again and then walked away, he assumed the conversation was over.

Fernanda stayed still for several minutes after he left, her mind thinking of ways she could speak with him. It was time to return to the library.

 

~~Back to the present~~

Fernie gathered her girls into the living, filling glasses with rum or tea. She walked into the kitchen to grab Bod to begin the meeting. The entire group was seating in a circle, to make it easier for Fernie to speak and sign at the same time for everyone to understand.

“I spoke with Tommy Shelby with my proposition.” Fernie began, using her hands to sign the words as well to Bod. “He is an interesting man. I can see why our clients back in London are worried about him, he’s not your typical gangster.”

The two women looked at each other, then back at Fernie. “What makes you say that Mrs F?”

Fernie took her time, thinking of how to explain somebody like Tommy Shelby when they have never met him.

“He’s….calculating. His eyes are expressionless. You can feel the cold vibrating from his body, he’s just too indifferent.” Fernie moved her head to the side in thought.

“It’s almost like he’s not alive” Fernie said with a shudder. 

Kristina spoke first, “Yeah F, but that’s common to see. I saw it all over London, people with no homes, no food, no family. They soon become like the dead they stole from the graveyard. It ain’t that strange” While Kristina spoke, Fernie’s hands were moving to translate for Bod.

“True Kristina, but he has a family. In fact, my research showed that he cares deeply for his family. He’s unpredictable is all and that makes me nervous.” Fernie shrugged her shoulders after speaking and signing.

“I want those guns. Now he knows I want them. But I want to wait for Inspector Campbell to take them. First it will be easier than stealing from Campbell and second, I’ve heard rumors about this inspector. I think it’ll be much more satisfying to steal from him.” Fernie finished with a smile.

She used Bod’s name sign to get his attention, “Bod? What do you think?” She shrugged her shoulders with a confused look on her face, indicating a question.

Bod’s large body frame heaved a sigh. He rubbed his hands against his face then up to across his shaved head in thought.

_“You take too much risk Fernie. We make good money, involving the Shelby’s in this mess will only make it worse. Aren’t you worried somebody will get hurt?”_ While Bod was signing, Fernie translated his words to the girls in a monotone voice.

“I get it Bod. But my people…sorry, our people, need the help now. And guess what? We are capable of helping. If that’s the case, shouldn’t we do it then?”

Bod shook his head at her words, “ _You have always cared too much Fernanda. I want you to understand that you do not need to burn yourself to keep others warm.”_ Bod stood up from his seat and moved towards Fernie, he sat next to her to lean over and softly kiss her ear.

“ _You know me, I’m an old man who worries too much. Please be safe.”_ Fernie continued to translate for him to the two girls, but both shifted awkwardly in their seats, feeling as though they were observing an intimate moment.

“Oh Deus Bod! You are not old.”

“and Beth, what do you think?” The rooms attention shifted focus to the petite woman next to Kristina.

Beth chewed her lip, worry clear across her face. “I trust you Mrs. F”

Fernie smiled in victory, “then it is decided, we will work the Shelby family to help us obtain the guns.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time everyone! Sorry for the delay. I've been busy with work -- our product rolled out in November, then I spent nearly 3 weeks in Vietnam and Thailand for vacation (!) and then work sent me to Oregon and Michigan, and then my dad came for a visit. I was basically gone from January through now. 
> 
> Chapter was written with the help of one of my cats, Naseeb. The other cat, Vez, was no help at all haha. Also, I seriously am going to salon tomorrow to get my fake nails taken off, it's too hard to type! It's why this chapter is a little shorter than I wanted but also I want to get back in the habit of posting, I figured something is better than nothing!
> 
> Thanks for all the support, everyone is lovely and kind <3


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